


Running Through the Rain

by Roguecookie



Category: Hataraku Maou-Sama! | The Devil Is a Part-Timer!
Genre: Cute, F/M, Funny, Light-Hearted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-09 19:43:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19893283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roguecookie/pseuds/Roguecookie
Summary: Ashiya asks Rika out on a date to buy a smartphone. On the way they run into some issues that begin to spiral out of control!





	Running Through the Rain

**Author's Note:**

> These events take place sometime after Volume 11 (No critical spoilers if you haven't read up to that point, so don't worry!).  
> Big thanks to Puppichu (@PuppichuCosplay) for creating such nice fanart for this short story.

* * *

“Dude, this storm is getting crazy, you sure Libicocco isn’t back to kidnap Chiho or something?” Urushihara asked while lazily leaning backwards from his permanent post at his computer.

“You know you shouldn’t joke about these things, remember what happened last time he showed up? Something about you ending up becoming more of a useless corpse than you usually are.” Was the snappy reply from across the room.

The windows in Room 201 of Villa Rosa Sasazuka were creaking and groaning under the immense pressure of the storm that had suddenly taken Tokyo by surprise.

“I hope Ashiya makes it back in time to make supper, I’m starving already.”

Maou checked his phone to see if Ashiya had sent him a message.

No new messages.

“Maybe we’ll have to get a MgRonalds delivery…Kawada’s gonna complain if I ask him to deliver in this weather…” Maou muttered as he stretched himself out on the floor.

“Dude, if you order delivery Ashiya’s gonna kill you. Plus, if Acieth finds out she’ll make you order thirty burgers…again.”

Maou stared at the clock on the wall. 6:42pm. Deciding whether he’d rather face death in the form of starvation or Ashiya’s wrath, he let out an audible sigh.

* * *

Elsewhere in Tokyo, the Demon General Alciel was fighting his own battle. The once ferocious general who had cunningly brought his enemies to their knees without lifting a finger was currently on a battlefield he’d never experienced before. The sweat on his face was starting to form neat rivers as it slowly slipped down his forehead and onto his cheeks. Shivering from the combination of wet clothing and air conditioning in the room he stammered:

“Ms. S..S…Suzuki, I’m terribly s.s...sorry. I meant n-no offence.”

He knew he had messed up.

* * *

40 minutes ago, at Shinjuku Station.

Normally accustomed to riding the train during non-peak hours, Ashiya was quite frustrated with the hordes of businessmen that were constantly entering and exiting the train. When he finally managed to get out at Shinjuku station, he found himself being pushed and pulled along with the crowd as he tried to find the right exit.

“If I recalled correctly, Ms. Suzuki had mentioned we should meet at the ‘New South Gate’.”

Earlier that week, Ashiya had sent a message to Rika Suzuki asking if he could request her assistance in purchasing a new phone. Considering recent events, he thought it would be appropriate if he also had a mobile phone to contact Maou in case of an emergency. Rika had arranged they meet today after she got off work at six o’clock.

As Ashiya turned the final corner to reach the New South Gate, a familiar voice shouted out behind him.

“Heeeey! Ashiya over here!”

Rika grabbed Ashiya’s shoulder before he got swept further away by the crowd. Blushing ever so slightly, she pulled him aside, away from the steady streams of business men flooding through the ticket gates.

“Ah, Ms. Suzuki, I didn’t notice you there. My sincerest apologies for such an oversight”

“No, no it’s fine! I know its super busy right now so there’s no choice but to call out before I lose sight of you. Anyways let’s go before it gets any more crowded here.”

“It gets even busier than this?” A stunned Ashiya replied as he quickly followed Rika further into the station.

After a few minutes of navigation, Rika and Ashiya finally arrived at the Yamanote line platform headed towards Ueno. Ashiya had seen an advertisement for a big cellphone sale at a major retailer near Ueno station, prompting his request with Rika earlier in the week.

“It’s twelve stations from here to Ueno, so let’s see if we can snag a pair of seats. Keep your eyes peeled Ashiya!”

“Understood. I shall make amends for my previous mistake with due diligence in acquiring seats for Ms. Suzuki”

“Hey, no need to be so… oh the trains here, quick!”

Ashiya and Rika rushed over to a less crowded door on the train and hopped on. Unfortunately, not only were all the seats taken but this cart was packed with rush hour commuters. Rika and Ashiya made their way to the middle of the cart and stood face to face while holding onto the hand grips.

“Ms. Suzuki, it appears to me that most of the seats here are occupied by what seems to be…sleeping businessmen” Ashiya frowned.

“Don’t worry, they’ll end up waking up ten second before their station. It’s second nature to the veteran salarymen around here, believe it or not.”

Ashiya smiled at Rika’s casual explanation. He noticed that her work clothes were different than usual. In place of her usual purple and white vest and shirt, she was wearing a deep olive-green shirt with elegant ruffles down the middle. The red hairslide she normally wore had been replaced with an intricate blue clip with a butterfly pattern. She gave off a more mature aura, fitting of Rika’s role today as his guide, Ashiya thought to himself.

_“Now Arriving at Shin-Okubo Station. The doors on the left side will open.”_

Ah, eleven more to go. Ashiya realized that a fair number of people were queued to enter the train at this station.

“Ahhh, this is gonna be crazy packed! Hold on tight Ashiya.”

The doors opened, and dozens of people began to make their way into the train. Unfazed by the sudden influx of people, Ashiya held his ground against the increasing pressure from the other standing commuters trying to stuff their way into the train. Rika, on the other hand, was not faring too well but managed to stay on her feet.

The train lurched forward as it begin making its way to the next station. Suddenly…

“Ah!”

The momentum from the passengers pushed Rika off her feet into Ashiya’s chest. Being a bit short in stature, the sudden lunge forced her to let go of the hand grip and grab onto Ashiya’s chest.

“I-I’m s-sorry Ashiya.” An embarrassed Rika could barely get the words out of her mouth as she desperately tried to regain her footing.

“Not a problem Ms. Suzuki, please feel free to hold onto me until you’ve regained your footing. I do say, it’s amazing how you manage to survive these crowds every day on the ride back home. This almost feels like a new type of battlefield.” Ashiya looked down at the panicked Rika, his whiskey brown eyes gauging whether he should lend a hand.

His strong, steady gaze made Rika squirm even more. Nervously glancing downwards, she carefully fidgeted her feet around to find a position that would allow her to stand up straight and keep her balance. The train’s constant rocking offered no help with her attempts.

Another sudden turn forced her to cling onto Ashiya some more. She could smell his clothing, which had a strong smell of the softener that Ashiya frequently used. Her grip on his shirt let her feel the shape of his chest muscles. They were much more toned than she thought. His usual UNICLO wear didn’t do his body any justice, she thought. Rika allowed her mind to wander like this for a moment…she suddenly felt pangs of heat coursing through her body. She was starting to lose her composure.

“Ah what am I thiiinkiinngggg!” Rika whispered to herself.

“I think we’re almost at the next station Ms. Suzuki. I believe I have the perfect opportunity to acquire us some seats, as that gentleman beside us seems to be preparing to stand up shortly.”

Ashiya’s brief interjection brought Rika back to her senses. The adrenaline had begun to flow after her series of distracted imaginings. Luckily, they both managed to grab a pair of seats on the train at the next station.

Rika stared down at her handbag, trying to avoid all eye contact with the aloof Ashiya, who was busy gawking at the sheer number of commuters on the train.

~~

_“Now arriving at Nippori station. The doors on the right side will open. For transfers to the…”_

“Two more to go! We’re almost there Ashiya”

“I’m sorry for having to put Ms. Suzuki through all this…”

“No, its my pleasure! Plus, it beats having to go home alone in these crowds, it will be a lot less busy by the time we’re done.” Rika finally mustered up the courage to look back up and smile at Ashiya. The moment her eyes met with his, she felt her chest tighten a little.

As the train began to move again, Rika noticed that all the new passengers were carrying soaking wet umbrellas. She looked out the window behind her to check the situation.

“Ashiya look! It’s absolutely pouring out there. Did you bring an umbrella?”

Outside, a large storm had begun to brew. The rain was almost pouring down sideways, meaning the wind was also blowing in full force.

“Ah, yes. I do keep a small one on my person just in case something like this does occur.” Ashiya grinned as he felt his jacket pocket to confirm he had brought his umbrella.

Rika let her mind wander for a split-second, imagining her and Ashiya sharing an umbrella and walking through a rainy Ueno park on the way to the electronic store. 

“What am I thinking?? I’ve devolved into a friggin’ generic high school girl!” Rika thought to herself while biting her lip, trying to come back to reality. Her composure had already begun to crumble, even before the main event had begun. Face flushed and heart pounding she covered her face with her hands.

The sudden screeching of the train being brought to a stop brought her to reality, again.

“ _Attention all passengers, due to a sudden change in weather the Yamanote Line will be suspending service until further notice.”_ The authoritative voice on the intercom announced. “ _We will momentarily be stopping at Uguisudani station, all passengers are advised to disembark and seek other means of transport.”_

Ashiya suddenly stood up. His back to Rika, he keenly observed the situation. It hadn’t even been a month since the previous ‘storm’ that resulted in both his and Rika’s lives being turned upside down for weeks. He tried to detect any sources of demonic or holy energy nearby, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Deducing that this weather might truly be from natural causes, he sat back down and turned towards Rika. Seeing her behaviour for the last few minutes led him to believe that she was also worried about the possibility of a demonic or angelic attack.

“It seems that we have nothing to be worried about, Ms. Suzuki. This storm seems to be one hundred percent natural, I assure you.” Ashiya gave a warm smile towards Rika, who was still recovering from self-inflicted embarrassment.

She gave a quick nod to Ashiya, unable to think of an appropriate reply. The revelations made to her in the past few weeks were sinking into her mind. Angels, demons, other worlds… it still made no sense to Rika. All that she was certain of was that the man sitting beside her, Shirou Ashiya, was currently making her feel emotions she knew all too well. Regardless of his demonic background, his white-blond hair and taut stature made her eyes stray more often than not when they were together.

The train slowly started inching forward, towards the next station: Uguisudani.

Rika thought back to the first time they had gone out shopping together. Remembering how she wished that the walls between her and Ashiya could break down, even just a little bit, made her realize how much things had and hadn’t changed since then. Learning about his past, had in a sense, widened the gap between the them. They both came from different worlds, Rika having no part to play in the epic battles of the Ente Islanders that took place. Thinking back, she missed being a naïve girl enraptured by the sight of the kind yet mysterious man that suddenly came into her life. Her train of thought was interrupted by the train’s arrival at the station.

Ashiya and Rika made their way out onto the platform along with the other passengers on the train. The rain was pouring at such an incredible speed and angle that not even the roof of the platform was able to stop them from getting completely soaked.

“Shall we go to a nearby coffee shop and wait there until this storm subsides? I wouldn’t want Ms. Suzuki to get soaked and catch a cold in this weather.” Not to mention, should Rika catch a cold, both Maou and Emi would harass him for not properly taking care of her while they were out together.

“Sure, I think I saw a sign for a small family restaurant down that street, let’s go there!” Rika exclaimed as she pointed Ashiya towards the direction she assumed the sign pointed towards.

Ashiya went to open his trusty pocket umbrella before they set out from the station. The moment he opened it and stepped outside, a large gale of wind snapped the umbrella’s top off. The force of it snapping pulled the handle out of Ashiya’s grip.

“Ah...”

He had purchased that umbrella soon after he moved into Japan with Maou. The umbrella, along with any sentimental value it had, was carried away by the wind. He’ll have to budget for a new and stronger one later.

Seizing her chance to live out the small fantasy she had on the train, Rika stepped up: “Don’t worry Ashiya I have an umbrella we can share h-”

With a short _woosh~_ her umbrella also slipped out of her hand and disappeared into the distance, probably chasing after Ashiya’s umbrella to keep it company. 

Rika stood there, speechless. The torrents of rain were relentless, and she knew they had go somewhere quickly before they both ended up being swept along with their umbrellas in the rain. The cold was already getting to her, slowly seeping through her clothes and causing her to shiver.

“Time is of the essence Ms. Suzuki, let us go quickly!” Ashiya quickly draped his jacket over Rika’s head and placed his hand on her opposite shoulder to hold it in place.

The warmth of his hand gently grasping her shoulder made Rika’s heart begin to race, she gripped her handbag with both her hands and brought it to her chest as they began to race through the streets.

As if sensing the sudden increase in Rika’s heartbeat, the storm picked up its pace. Rika let out a small yelp as the rain battered her sides like a barrage of arrows.

“Ms. Suzuki! Please hang on for one more moment, I will get us to safety.” Ashiya, his eyes filled with raw determination, gingerly picked up Rika and sped towards the end of the street. He couldn’t let Rika stay out in the rain any longer. Looking around, he couldn’t find the family restaurant, but he spotted a nearby building with a sign indicating hourly room rentals. He recalled Urushihara telling him that these types of buildings, called ‘Net cafés’, existed as a place where one can rest for hours with various facilities, including laundry and showers, for an extended period. Prioritizing drying off, he decided this would be the most appropriate choice.

Meanwhile, the sudden princess carry that Ashiya sprang onto Rika had dealt serious mental damage. She voiced no protest as Ashiya picked her up and lifted her high up against his chest. The gears in her brain had stopped functioning long ago.

“O-ok…thank you.” Her voice was barely audible, but Ashiya could feel her cold body shivering ever so slightly.

The next couple minutes flashed by like a blur for Rika. Ashiya gently put her down on one of the soft chairs in the lobby of the building they entered before heading towards the reception. She noticed him asking a few questions before getting a set of keys and walking back over to Rika, who had begun to regain her senses. He offered out his hand to help her get up from the chair. Rika, who had already lost all sense of shame, happily obliged and took Ashiya’s hand. Its gentle embrace caused Rika’s face to feel pangs of warmth.

“It seems we are just in luck, as there was an available room for us to dry off in.” Ashiya led Rika towards the end of the hallway where their room was located.

“You’re fine paying with a hotel, Ashiya? Isn’t that expensive for you?” Was all Rika could come up with, seeing how the normally stingy Demon General just spent a large portion of money without a second thought.

“I agree, it is unfortunate to have to spend money on such short notice, but it is an emergency and Ms. Suzuki’s safety is my top priority. Besides, the rates for this Net Café is quite cheap considering the laundry services they also offered.”

Rika smiled to herself when Ashiya mentioned her name. Even though she hadn’t told him her feelings, she was always happy to find that he cared so much about her. Most men would start revealing their true nature and act overly familiar with her at this point, but Ashiya’s gentlemanly attitude even now showed that he was a true man of class.

“You mentioned laundry, but I have nothing to change into…so I don’t think I’ll be able…”

“Don’t worry Ms. Suzuki, I mentioned this to the receptionist and they said that outfits could be provided to us with the room, at a very minimal cost. I was quite impressed, but unsure what they meant when they asked the theme of the outfits. I requested we receive the most normal set, so long as they fit us both.”

They arrived at the end of the hallway, Ashiya fumbling with the keys for a moment before managing to insert it correctly into the lock. Still latched onto Ashiya’s hand, Rika timidly followed Ashiya into the room, trying to asses her current situation. She looked around the room for a moment before realizing something…very shameful. The once broken gears in Rika’s mind started spinning in full reverse. She could feel her pulse pounding in her forehead as her eyes darted around the room. Ah, no this can’t be.

Ashiya had yet to turn around and piece together the look of horror that had begun to develop on Rika’s face. He was genuinely intrigued with the colorful layout of the room. Urushihara’s explanation of a Net Café did not mention the spacious and extravagant room he was currently in. A small basket was neatly placed on the bed, beside a couple of clean bath towels. He stepped forward to see what its contents were. He found a colorful assortment of round mints wrapped in neat foil packaging.

Picking one up, he turned around to offer it to Rika, who had been silent since entering the room.

“It seems there are some complimentary treats for guests in the room. Would you ca-”

The great strategist and Demon General Alciel could have never predicted Rika’s reaction.

“ **P-P-P---PUT TT-THAT DOWN RIGHT NOW ASHIYA!!!!!!!!!!** ” Rika’s voice rose quite a few decibels as she barely managed to stammer out her sentence. Her eyes were stained red and the expression on her face showed that she was on the cusp of breaking down.

“ **D-DON’T TOUCH THOSE** ” She pointed an accusing finger at the ‘mint’ in Ashiya’s hand.

Every single alarm inside Ashiya’s brain went off at that moment. Rika was acting completely normal up to this point, albeit a bit quieter ever since getting off the train. With the possibility of an enemy attack being second to none, Ashiya realized that the reason lay in something he had done. Further assessment of the situation had to be immediately done before coming to a conclusion.

“What is wrong Ms. Suzuki? If you are injured I can look and see if there’s anything I can do to help.” He kept calm as he took a few steps towards Rika.

“ **STAY AWAY.** ” Rika began yelling. She knew she was being unreasonable, but the situation had already gotten out of hand in her mind. Her consciousness was floating in and out. Part of her knew Ashiya was being naïve, but her instincts as a woman were taking over for her already fried brain.

Realizing he was only making things exponentially worse, Ashiya backed down. From the look on Rika’s face, Ashiya could tell that she was exhausted, but also afraid of something. Could it be that she finally saw him as the demon that he truly was, and being locked in a room alone had terrified her to wits’ end? The great Demon General Ashiya of the past could have cared less about the opinion of one lowly human, but the fact that Rika’s actions made Ashiya feel empty on the inside was an unmistakable sign that he had changed.

“I’m terribly… sorry Ms. Suzuki! I will go ahead and wash up, so please relax and keep the room to yourself.” Hiding the tinge of sadness that he had just felt, Ashiya grabbed the basket and towel and rushed into the bathroom.

Rika sensed the slight falter in Ashiya’s voice as his soggy figure made its way to the bathroom. She was being cruel to the man she loved yet could not stop herself. She knew she had to explain to Ashiya the issue behind this whole situation before she imploded any further. Water still dripping from her arms, she grabbed the remaining towel off the bed and began to dry herself off.

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Ashiya took a good look in the mirror at his drenched figure. He must have looked quite pathetic in front of Rika. The bitter feeling in his heart wasn’t going anywhere. He must make amends with Rika somehow.

“A quick warm shower should help clear up my mind.”

Turning on the shower to allow the water to warm up, he grabbed a bottle of liquid soap from the basket he brought with him and undressed himself.

“This really isn’t a hotel isn’t it…” Rika shook her head. She cupped her hands and placed her head in them, so no one could see the desperate expression on her face. Once Ashiya gets out of the bathroom, she’d ask him a few questions and explain to him what their current situation was. That way he’d also feel a bit of embarrassment and tensions would hopefully dissipate between the two of them. Her hopes were beginning to rise when –

*BANG* … … *THUD*… … “Aaaa…”

“Ashiya? Was that you?” Rika was certain the noise had just come from the bathroom. “Is everything OK?” Had something happened inside the bathroom? Could it have been an enemy attack? Rika was still unfamiliar with the allies and enemies of the Ente Islanders she knew but still considered that something heinous may be taking place on the other side of the wall.

No answer.

Taking a leap of faith, Rika opened the door too the bathroom and peered inside, expecting the worst.

She wasn’t too far off.

“…Ms. Suzuki? I’m sorry but could I enlist your help for a moment here? I seem to be experiencing some issues” A half-naked Ashiya was sprawled on the floor of the bathroom, with only his underwear on.

“Y-yes?” Rika took a step back and hid her body behind the door. Still peering from around the corner, she observed the fallen Demon General in all his glory.

“It seems that the complimentary soap provided by this establishment is far below standards!” Ashiya declared in a defiant tone. “The residue it leaves is extremely slippery and has made it extremely difficult for me to even walk! If you would be so kind as to pass me my towel Ms. Suzuki, I will clean myself up and remove myself from this pitiful state.”

Crestfallen, Rika was speechless. Normally even the thought of her seeing Ashiya shirtless would cause all the neurons in her brain to fire simultaneously, but now she was slowly dying on the inside. Extra careful not to step into the room, Rika nimbly grabbed Ashiya’s towel from off the counter and tossed it at his face.

“Many than-”

Rika shut the door mid sentence.

Ashiya thoroughly dried himself off with the towel, quietly cursing this strange soap. Perhaps it was a unique kind of soap and he had not been taught the correct method of application? Nonetheless, more important matters had to be attended to - making amends with Rika over whatever had happened.

“Ah, I forgot to bring an outfit with me to change into!” Ashiya swore at what seemed to be his twentieth blunder of the day.

Towel neatly wrapped around his waist, Ashiya had no choice but to go back into the room and fetch the outfit himself. Asking Rika to do something again would be extremely dangerous. Back onto the battlefield once more.

Sitting in the corner of the room, shoulders raised, and hands placed on her knees, Rika stared down the still shirtless Ashiya that crept out of the bathroom towards the closet. She had a clear idea what to tell Ashiya to resolve this messed up situation in her mind, but perhaps it could wait until he was dressed again…

Ashiya opened the closet.

He… couldn’t understand the meaning of the closet’s contents. A maid outfit, nurse outfit, cat costume and…some strange clothing made up of black leather and strings. Did the receptionist mistake his request for an outfit for… something else? The only outfit that could even fit Ashiya’s body was the odd leather suit. Likely designed for some sort of horse riding or climbing, with all the metal rings attached to the torso. It seemed odd to him that medieval clothing like this existed in modern Japan.

“I guess I’ll wear this until my clothes are dry.” Ashiya pulled the outfit out of the closet.

Rika couldn’t believe her eyes. She could only stare as Ashiya pulled out the costume from the closet. The moment he tried to slip it over his head, she knew she had to act, or else she’d die of shame before being able to explain anything to Ashiya.

“MR. ASHIYA…ah…umm… could you please listen to me?!” Rika’s hoarse voice surprised herself, the nervousness was getting to her. “There’s something you should know about this room before you put that…”

Unfortunately, Ashiya’s head was currently stuck inside the costume by the time Rika had begun her protests. Head tilted at an obscure angle, he was truly the epitome of a man who had lost his wits.

“Mmmmphh-ss-s-orry Ms. Suzuki I couldn’t mmmngg-hear wh—”

Rika had had enough.

Dashing from her chair, she darted to Ashiya and forcibly ripped the costume off his body. Grabbing his exposed sides, she pushed him onto the bed before running into the washroom and fetching his wet clothes. She threw the soggy clothing onto the body of their lifeless owner. Fists clenched she walked back into the bathroom.

“Put your clothes on Ashiya. Right now. You have thirty seconds.”

He didn’t need to be told twice, Ashiya had his clothes on and was kneeling on the floor when Rika walked back out thirty seconds later. The sweat on his face was starting to form neat rivers as it slowly slipped down his forehead and onto his cheeks. Shivering from the combination of wet clothing and air conditioning in the room he stammered:

“Ms. S..S…Suzuki, I’m terribly s.s...sorry. I meant n-no offence.”

He knew he had messed up. It didn’t matter why but this was his only means of escape from the current situation. Standing at the other end of the room, Rika had a deep frown on her face.

“I’m only going to ask this once, so listen carefully.” Rika took a deep breath.

She couldn’t look Ashiya in the eyes. Shifting her focus to the floor, she continued.

“Do you know what a love hotel is?”

“A l-l-love hotel?” Was the confused reply. Head bowed, Ashiya was searching through all his past experiences in Japan to find a reference to this ‘Love Hotel’ Rika mentioned. He only recalled a few things.

“It is a place where couples go to experience time together in privacy, f-from what I understand…”

He wasn’t wrong, but Rika knew she had to bridge the information gap that Ashiya was clearly missing. Her face reddened at the thought of the question she was about to ask.

“Ashiya, how do demons…reproduce?”

It was Ashiya’s turn to be at a loss for words. Rika had thrown a curveball in Ashiya’s direction that he couldn’t have expected in a million years.

“I’m sorry Ms. Suzuki but I don’t understand the purpose of this…”

“Do you know how humans do it???” Rika’s strained voice showed that her composure was near its limit.

“Y-y-yes?”

“Well, that’s what this room is for.” Rika tightened her fists a little as she told Ashiya the crux of the issue.

“B-b-but why this strange clothing and soap?” Ashiya was genuinely concerned why such odd things were placed in the room.

“Humans… have certain things they do to…umm…set the mood for these things…” was the soft reply from across the room.

Ashiya could sense the tension in Rika’s voice. He realized that he must have given Rika many mixed messages when he dragged her into this room, considering it had something to do with human mating. Still unaware of the bizarre customs behind the deed, Ashiya figured it would be best to just keep quiet and let Rika relax. He would have to buy her an apology gift on a later date for sure.

“I understand why you must have been so confused Ms. Suzuki. Please accept my sincerest apologies.” Ashiya stood up and gave a deep bow towards Rika.

“A-ah, n-no it’s fine, since you didn’t know what kind of room it was…well…” Rika nervously shuffled her hands into her pockets before continuing. “I guess I kind of overreacted as well and started yelling at you instead of stopping to explain things.” She knew the adrenaline had gotten the better of her.

“I accept full responsibility for what has occurred here today, it was my fault for failing to provide proper accommodations. Please rest assured I hold no ill-will towards you Ms. Suzuki.” Ashiya had a small innocent smile on his face.

Seeing this, Rika’s heart warmed up a little, along with her clothes.

* * *

The tired figure of Shirou Ashiya labored up the stairs to 201 Villa Rosa Sasazuka in the moonlight. It was half past nine when the storm had finally let up and he and Rika could leave the love hotel. Although the tensions had been mostly lifted, Rika had adamantly declined his offer to accompany her home. The bitter feeling from earlier had crept back into his heart during the long train ride back.

“Humans are such…such…” Ashiya was too exhausted to finish his sentence. He opened the door to room 201 and quietly stepped in. The moon provided just enough light for him to tip toe in and put his bags down. Sighing deeply, he sat down with his back to the wall. He stared at the moon for a short while before looking around the room to see what the state of the room was.

At the other end of the room there was a large plastic bag overflowing with MgRonalds wrappers. From the sheer size of the bag, Ashiya assumed that at least 20 burgers had been ordered. His brain didn’t have enough energy to even get angry about that right now. Maou and Lucifer were both sleeping soundly in their usual spots, sprawled out without a care in the world.

Ashiya opened his bag. Even though they didn’t ‘use’ the room at the love hotel, being the stingy man that he was, he snuck some of the complimentary mints and soap into his bag to take home. He carefully took them and placed them in the cabinet under the sink. Even though he was still unsure of their exact use, he had paid for the hotel room and wanted to get his money’s worth. The finances of the Devil King’s Castle on earth were no laughing matter, and Ashiya would keep anything if it meant they could save a few hundred yen later.

He let out a quiet yawn. Better get to sleep soon, so he could wake up and make breakfast for the two demons sleeping beside him. Ashiya quietly prepared his bedding and slid under the covers. What a long day it had been for him.

He fell asleep almost immediately, completely unaware of the ticking timebomb he had just placed under the cabinet.

But that’s a story for another day...

“aa...Ms. Suzuki…how good to…mmm…see…no…I...” Ashiya muttered in his sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> You know sometimes you just get this really dumb idea? And you’re talking with your friends and you mention it and they’re like ‘haha do it!’. Ya, so that's what happened here. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did writing it.


End file.
